Dysfunction doubles with Lakers facing Knicks

NEW YORK — This should’ve provided a feel-good moment for the Lakers, ending their seven-game trip against a franchise perhaps even more dysfunctional than theirs.

But with the Lakers (16-28) visiting the New York Knicks (16-27) today at Madison Square Garden, that just brings up more uneasy memories. For Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni, that means reliving his four-year tenure with New York where he ended with a 121-167 record and zero playoff wins with an abrupt resignation.

“That means the last game of the road trip and I go back home Sunday night,” D’Antoni said. “It doesn’t mean anything. It’s another team.”

So much that D’Antoni even proclaimed ignorance about the Knicks, who rank 11th in a mediocre Eastern Conference.

“What are they? Second place in the East?” D’Antoni said sarcastically. “I don’t watch. I’m watching the Lakers. That’s more important.”

It’s not even guaranteed the Lakers could snap their three-game losing streak against the Knicks, particularly after Carmelo Anthony scored 62 points in a win Friday over Charlotte, breaking Kobe Bryant’s Madison Square Garden scoring record of 61 points set in Feb. 2, 2009. Meanwhile, the Lakers rank 29th in the NBA out of 30 teams in total defense, allowing 105.8 points per game

“That’s big time,” Lakers forward Nick Young said. “They needed something like that to happen the way they’ve been losing. For a player, that will be a great spark.”

The Lakers would appear to be a prime candidate for Anthony to unleash his deadly scoring arsenal against.

“You know Melo is going to get his points. Hopefully he doesn’t get 60 against us,” Lakers guard Kendall Marshall said. “The goal with him is to make him a volume shooter and then try to limit everybody else. If we can do that defensively, it will give us a better chance to win.”

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Good for Marshall to provide the scouting report.

Threading the needle

The Lakers are reeling with each passing moment they still have most of their point guards staying busy in the training room, including Steve Nash (nerve issues in back), Steve Blake (hyperextended right elbow) and Jordan Farmar (torn left hamstring). Also throw in Kobe Bryant (fractured left knee).

But in the 12 games he has started since moving up from the Development League, Marshall has averaged 12.1 points and 11.9 assists in 38.8 minutes. Marshall’s assist totals during that stretch actually exceed that of Clippers guard Chris Paul, who averaged 11.2 assists per game before staying sidelined since Jan. 3 because of a separated right shoulder.

“It’s hard to feel good about it because we’re still losing,” said Marshall, who has also averaged 3.3 turnovers in his starts. “Obviously I need to find more ways to help my team. I’m not doing enough offensively and I need to do more defensively. I’m turning the ball over and I need to cut that out. It’s hard to focus on the positives right now when we’re losing.”

D’Antoni agrees.

“There’s no use talking about the offense. We’ll score enough points,” D’Antoni said. “We have to talk about defense. Any question you ask me has to be about defense.”